Closing Time
by fruitloops was taken
Summary: I thought Seamus needed some love so here is my one-shot about my favorite Irish wizard. After he loses his wife and unborn child, Seamus reminisces on life the night the Dark Lord is defeated. Partly inspired by the Semisonic song:Closing Time


_**Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world.**_

It was closing time at the Hog's Head. It was funny, the bar had always seemed like it stayed open all the time until he needed it most. Tonight he really needed it. The fall of the Dark Lord should have been the most joyous day he could remember, and it might have been if it hadn't signaled the end to the one thing that had been keeping him sane. The fight for the Light and the Order of the Phoenix had been the focus of the last 2 years of Seamus Finnigan's life.

After school he joined the Auror's, becoming one of the best they had next to the Trio. It was in training that he met her, Alanna o' Riley. Quick and nimble and so tiny he would swear in later years that he thought a fairy had come and bonked him over the head, a fairy with snapping amber eyes and raven black hair. She had a mouth that ran faster than his and a temper that burned like a quick slug of firewhisky. From the moment he laid eyes on her he knew it was love. It took a considerable amount of charm and persistence to convince her likewise. Eventually the hard work and long hours paid off, not only did they graduate from Auror training at the top of their class but she accepted his proposal of marriage at the celebration that same night.

Three months later they were married, Seamus had settled down to a life he was sure he could live forever. The threat of Voldemort loomed and their job was dangerous as it was but it didn't stop them from enjoying their time, most of which was spent with their friends. Dean and Parvati, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, all of the young couples had known each other from school and they all fought for the Order. Seamus had introduced Alanna to Dumbledore during training when they started getting serious and she had quickly become a full-fledged member. The fact that they lived their lives in danger made the time they spent together even sweeter.

It wouldn't have been so difficult if he had been able to say goodbye properly, given her a kiss, told her he loved her and the baby-they didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. All their friends had a pool going on and the odds had been in favor of a boy, he wanted a girl that looked like her. Alanna insisted that they have at least two kids so that he couldn't spoil the first rotten, actually he had planned on spoiling all the kids they were planning on having. Growing up an only child made him wish for a big family, Alanna and the baby were the start of the family he had dreamed about ever since his mum died in the initial raids.

At five months along she had been forced to stop work awhile back once the baby's magic had started to manifest itself. That morning he had been called in early, there had been multiple raids all over the southern edge of Wales and the Ministry was short on Aurors. When he returned from one site Dean was there looking uncharacteristically grim. One look was all he needed, he had given victim's families that same look many times and he knew what was coming. He simply Apparated home. The house was gone, totally blown away and the Dark Mark still lingered in the sky. There were several Aurors still at the scene with other ministry officials, Harry gave him the news that they hadn't been able to find her body, they suspected it had been incinerated in the blast.

The next few months of his life had been a blur, the funeral with the empty casket, sleeping on people's couch's because he had no one else to turn to. His friends had been there for him but they knew it wasn't enough. Seamus threw himself into work, coming in early and staying late is a great way to work yourself into a stupor and when that wasn't enough he always had the firewhisky. That was the way he lived his life for the next two years. Work and booze combined to make the pain go away. At the final battle with Voldemort he had been in the thick of things, flinging the Unforgivables like they were candy, always jumping into the middle of things waiting for the merciful darkness that meant he had gotten what he wanted. But it seemed Fate and his friends had conspired to keep even that from him. When Harry finally brought down the Dark Lord Seamus was still alive after all he had tried and been through he was still alive. So he slipped quietly into the darkness to the welcoming gloom of the Hog's Head. Inside it was rowdier and noisier than he had ever seen but he knew where to go for solitude. He slipped quietly up the back steps clutching a bottle of firewhisky, hoping to get so drunk he wouldn't be able to remember his own name. Of course the chances of that were slim, not only did he have years of drinking behind him he also had his natural Irish immunity, great for drinking games and rounds at the pub, bad if all you wanted to do was slip into oblivion.

_**Closing time - one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer.  
Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.**_

Several hours and many drinks later he still hadn't reached his goal, light was just starting to shine over the treetops and he could hear the bartender ushering people out.  
Cursing his own hard head for liquor he stood and made his way back down the steps. Once downstairs he glanced around the room, only a few people were left, mostly passed out on table tops. He walked down the street towards the lake. He could see Hogwarts in the distance, still standing as proudly as the first time he had laid eyes on it over 10 years ago. Sitting he watched the sun shine on the surface of the lake. He had so many memories of doing this same thing all those years ago. The night he received word about his mum he had sat on the top of one of the north towers and watched the sun rise. The feeling that he was alone in the world was the same and the pain came again, but this time with the realization that he had been through this before and survived. It was finally time to start living again.

_**Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end... **_


End file.
